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Index of Subjects Muskrats live in beaver lodges with the beavers, look at this muskrat on the beavers back. This is why you see mussel shells near beavers, no other reason Fred. http://abolitphotos.exposuremanager.com/p/animals/_mg_0595muskratontopof3beaver_3 All the best, Darrell +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ On Fri, 16 May 2014 18:44:08 -0400, Fred Schueler <bckcdb@istar.ca> wrote: On 5/16/2014 6:06 PM, darrell@abolitphotos.ca wrote: > > > A beaver is a herbivore. They might nibble on mussels for calcium. > > * but there are situations where you see shells associated with > intense Beaver activity, and in areas where there aren't any or many > Muskrats. I've seen this especially in northern Ontario where > trappers assure me there are few or no Muskrats. In general, Rodents > are herbivores only to the extent that they can't catch up with > animal prey - Muskrats, Red Squirrels, and Deer Mice are all active > predators on various animal prey. A few years ago there was a > discussion of Beaver predation on mussels on the UNIO-L mussel e-mail > list, and while a number of observers supported my idea that they're > predators on mussels, only one person from Alabama (no winter ice!) > had actually seen a Beaver eating a mussel. > > > Muskrats are what is eating the mussels, no doubt in my mind, as simple > > as it might be.Been trapping all my life off and on as my father. You > > always see mussels on the river bank and lake shores in what we call > > feed beds for muskrats. They do get washed into deeper water. > > * certainly this is usually the case, especially in places where the > shells are up on shore in heaps. > > > Racoons do swim as well, ask any coon hunter that uses dogs, they > will actually > > drown a dog by getting on top of their heads. you have to be careful > > when hunting racoons around water with dogs. Sure they likely do not > > swim regularly but they do swim and very well. > > * but to they dive for food? Has anyone on the list seen a mammal > eating a freshwater mussel? > > fred. > ------------------------------------------------------------ > Frederick W. Schueler & Aleta Karstad > Daily Paintings - http://karstaddailypaintings.blogspot.com/ > Vulnerable Watersheds - http://vulnerablewaters.blogspot.ca/ > study our books - http://pinicola.ca/books/index.htm > RR#2 Bishops Mills, Ontario, Canada K0G 1T0 > on the Smiths Falls Limestone Plain 44* 52'N 75* 42'W > (613)258-3107 <bckcdb at istar.ca> http://pinicola.ca/ > ------------------------------------------------------------ > >
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